I want to start this blog with another huge thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and my team. Mokhotlong has really changed my life and it’s because of the faithfulness of you all back in the states. For that I am so grateful and I want to make sure that everyone back home is aware of how much we’ve reaped because of how much you’ve sown. I initially asked everyone to pray for at least one salvation a day. We’ve been here for 25 days and now seen over 70 salvations. God has moved monumentally through this village and it is directly linked to the obedience of my team and the prayers from back home. So thank you again for all your efforts because they most definitely weren’t in vain. They’ve had eternal impact and God has been blessed by our works here. Not to mention I’ve got one last Glorious story to tell you about our third and final prison visit.
I was very excited as we walked into the prison yard for the last time. The usual singing, drumming, and dancing was occurring as we walked in. The occasional high pitched tribal esque scream invariably sent chills down my spine, as always. We stood together as a team, I played my guitar, and we sang to the Lord one last time with all the inmates. This time was different; they were more attentive, they clapped, they drummed, some even sang with us. As we finished the song “How Great is our God,” the yard erupted with cheers, clapping, and even dancing. A huge circle formed a sort of Conga line if you will, and even some our team joined in to dance as we all transitioned to Basotho songs. What an atmosphere our worship created! God was on the move.
After we had finished our songs, two of my teammates shared their testimonies and then it was my turn to preach for the first time in my life. Ever. What a story it was turning out to be. My first ever preaching experience was in a prison yard that just happened to be in the remote mountains of Mokhotlong, Lesotho. I’ll never forget it.
I preached on 1 Corinthians, chapter 13 which is all about love. I told the inmates that I wouldn’t say a word to them that wasn’t rooted in God’s love. I also told them I was so excited that I didn’t have a normal first preaching experience In a big nice church. I explained to them that God had given me the highest honor I could possibly imagine by having me preach for the first time in that prison. It moved me to tears as I shared the Gospel with them. My message was simple. I told them all about God’s love, and when I had finished I asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus and two men came forth to give their lives to him. I prayed with them and thanked God for what he had done. Two more salvations! I’ll never forget the experience but perhaps the greatest testament to Gods relentless love was the last man to come up for prayer. He waited until the alter call was over and we were about to leave. God kept tugging at his heart until he finally came forward and said that he had been in and out of prison for the past four years. He knew something had to change because the words we were saying were softening his heart. He said that he couldn’t possibly continue his old lifestyle anymore. He gave his life to Jesus right there. He was the prodigal son of Luke 15. He finally answered the call and came home. What a God we serve.
So there you have it folks. God is good and I want everyone to know him.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
